Early morning light seeped through the medicine-den entrance as Shadowsight crept from his nest and crossed to Antfur’s. He hoped that Antfur would be his old self today. For three days, Shadowsight had padded to the injured cat’s nest in the medicine den and checked his eyes for cloudiness and asked him questions, hoping that he’d recovered enough to answer them sensibly. But each time Antfur had been confused, unsure where he was and answering questions as though he were still a guardian cat in the city.
Shadowsight’s heart seemed to beat too loudly in the quiet dawn. Snowbird was curled in her nest, eyes closed. At least the pain in her broken paw had eased enough for her to sleep through the night, and the swelling in Stonewing’s tail had gone down enough to reassure Shadowsight that he wouldn’t lose the tip. Their Clanmates were healing quickly. Shadowsight couldn’t help feeling that he and Puddleshine had done well. Scorchfur’s bruising was still tender, but Puddleshine had sent him back to his nest in the warriors’ den when he’d complained that the smell of herbs was making him queasy. “If he’s well enough to complain,” Puddleshine had said, “he’s well enough to sleep in his own nest.” Perhaps ShadowClan hadn’t been cursed with bad luck after all.
And yet, as Shadowsight stopped beside the warrior’s nest, doubt tugged at his belly. Please let Antfur be better today. He wondered if it was any use appealing to StarClan. He still wasn’t sure they hadn’t caused all this. Shadowsight leaned into the nest.
“Antfur?” He nudged the sleeping cat with a paw.
Antfur lifted his head, blinking in the half-light. He looked at Shadowsight, puzzled. “Is that you, Mittens?”
Shadowsight’s heart sank. “It’s me, Shadowsight.”
Puddleshine’s nest rustled at the back of the den as the medicine cat climbed out of it. “Why did you wake him?” Puddleshine breathed softly as he crossed the den toward Shadowsight.
“I wanted to see how he was,” Shadowsight murmured.
“Any better?” Puddleshine stopped beside him and looked at Antfur hopefully.
“He’s still confused,” Shadowsight told him.
“He just woke up.” Puddleshine peered into Antfur’s eyes. “He’s bound to be confused.”
Antfur blinked at him. “What’s happened? Is something wrong?” His gaze flicked toward the pale light at the den entrance. “Am I supposed to be on patrol?”
“No,” Puddleshine told the warrior. “You’re supposed to be resting. We’re just checking on you.” He sat back on his haunches and looked at Shadowsight. “His eyes seem clearer.”
“Do they?” Shadowsight was blocking the light from the entrance. He moved until pale sunlight fell past him and glistened in Antfur’s amber gaze. Hope flickered in Shadowsight’s chest. Puddleshine was right; the haziness that had shrouded his eyes since the branch hit him had cleared.
Antfur blinked at them. “Why are you both staring at me?”
“Do you know who I am?” Puddleshine asked him.
“Of course.” Antfur stared at him as though he’d asked if birds could fly. “You’re Puddleshine.”
He recognizes us. Shadowsight’s paws tingled eagerly. “Do you know why you’re in the medicine den?”
“I got hit by a branch,” Antfur told him.
“Who was with you?” Shadowsight pressed.
Antfur stood up and shook out his fur. “Dovewing, Scorchfur, and Stonewing.”
Shadowsight glanced at Puddleshine. Relief washed over his pelt. He’d been a bit confused when he first woke, but now Antfur seemed to be as sharp as he’d been before the accident.
Puddleshine puffed out his chest. “It’s good to see you feeling better,” he told Antfur happily.
Antfur pricked his ears. “Can I get back to my warrior duties now?”
“Maybe,” Puddleshine told him.
Shadowsight looked at his old mentor. “Are you sure? This is only the first time he’s seemed to know what’s going on. He called me Mittens earlier.”
“He’d just woken up.”
“Don’t you think we should watch him for a day or two to make sure he’s okay?”
“If he feels well enough . . .” Puddleshine’s mew trailed away as Antfur hopped out of his nest.
“I might have been confused before, but I’m fine now. I haven’t broken anything,” the warrior told him. “And my bruises are feeling a lot better.”
The den entrance shivered. Tigerstar padded in, his gaze flitting toward Snowbird’s nest first as the white she-cat lifted her head. Her eyes were bleary with sleep.
“How’s the paw?” Tigerstar padded toward her.
“Only a little better.” Snowbird lifted it with a grimace. It was still swathed in comfrey and held stiff by four smooth, straight sticks.
“Keep resting it,” Tigerstar told her brightly. “You’ll be hunting again in no time.” He crossed the den and stopped beside Puddleshine, his tail high. Shadowsight wondered if his father really felt as cheerful as he was acting. Perhaps he was just trying to keep his wounded warriors’ spirits high. “And how are you?” Tigerstar looked at Antfur.
“Ready for patrol,” the tom told him, standing up straight.
“Patrol?” Tigerstar looked surprised. “Already?”
“I think he should rest for a couple of days,” Shadowsight mewed.
Puddleshine tipped his head thoughtfully. “But going on normal patrols again could be good for him.”
Shadowsight saw Antfur’s muscular legs begin to quiver. The brown-and-black tom grimaced a little. Shadowsight darted toward him, pressing his flank against Antfur’s to steady him as he began to sway. “Are you dizzy?”
“A little,” Antfur confessed. “But that’s okay. I should get back to my warrior duties.”
“You need to rest.” Shadowsight was supporting most of the warrior’s weight as he leaned against him. Antfur seemed hardly able stand on his own four paws. How could he be ready for patrols?
Antfur pulled away from him. “I’ve already rested for three days,” he pointed out.
Tigerstar swished his tail. “He just needs some exercise. A warrior’s place is out there, in the forest.”
“Besides, Mittens was going to show me a shrew nest,” Antfur meowed eagerly.
“Mittens?” Tigerstar frowned.
Antfur frowned, clearly realizing he’d said the wrong name. He tried to correct himself. “I mean Blaze.”
Shadowsight’s paws pricked anxiously. “You mean Blazefire, right?” Had he forgotten his friend’s warrior name?
“Of course.” Antfur lifted his chin.
Tigerstar’s gaze darkened. “Perhaps you should stay in the medicine den for another day or two.”
Antfur’s eyes widened indignantly. “I don’t want to be treated like a kit, or an elder. I joined ShadowClan so I could be a warrior. I’m perfectly okay. I should be taking care of my Clanmates. They shouldn’t be taking care of me.”
Tigerstar caught Shadowsight’s eye. “What do you think?”
“I’d like to keep an eye on him.”
“Puddleshine?” Tigerstar looked at the other medicine cat.
“Shadowsight is right. Another day in the medicine den might be best,” Puddleshine mewed.
“No!” Antfur’s pelt bristled. “I’m as fit as a hare.” He padded around the den, swishing his tail. “I’m perfectly capable of hunting.” He stared at Tigerstar.
“But what if you get dizzy again while you’re out of camp?” Shadowsight felt unconvinced.
“I won’t be on my own,” Antfur told him. “I’ll have a patrol with me, and my Clanmates won’t let anything happen.”
Shadowsight still wasn’t sure. As long as he was keeping the secret of the codebreaker vision, he couldn’t let any cat take risks. If StarClan really had let Antfur get hurt to send him a message, they might decide to send another. “He should stay here.”
Tigerstar frowned thoughtfully. “But Antfur has a point,” he murmured. “He won’t be on his own.”